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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jul 30, 1:09pm
Post #1 of 11
(4469 views)
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It's time for some BS!
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Here's a Book Spoiler on how it could have been much worse before they even reached Mirkwood! Bilbo, I'm sure, recalled another warning that Beorn had given them before they left (see if you notice something familiar in his strategy)... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From Queer Lodgings: The Hobbit ..."The goblins," Beorn had said, "will not dare to cross the Great River for a hundred miles north of the Carrock nor to come near my house... ...but I should ride fast; for if they make their raid soon they will cross the river to the south and scour all the edge of the forest so as to cut you off, and Wargs run swifter than ponies. Still you are safer going north, even though you seem to be going back nearer to their strongholds; for that is what they will least expect, and they will have the longer ride to catch you...!"
......That is why they were now riding in silence, galloping wherever the ground was grassy and smooth, with the mountains dark on their left, and in the distance the line of the river with its trees drawing ever closer. The sun had only just turned west when they started, and till evening it lay golden on the land... ...It was difficult to think of pursuing goblins behind, and when they had put many miles between them and Beorn's house they began to talk and to sing again and to forget the dark forest-path that lay in front. But in the evening when the dusk came on and the peaks of the mountains glowered against the sunset they made a camp and set a guard... ...most of them slept uneasily with dreams in which there came the howl of hunting wolves and the cries of goblins."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Aug 1, 1:55pm
Post #2 of 11
(1870 views)
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Here's a 6-part look at the journey of The One Ring. Part 1 witnesses Sauron's forging of The One Ring and its power... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From AKALLABETH: The Downfall of Númenor: The Silmarillion ... "...Sauron arose again in Middle-earth, and grew, and turned back to the evil in which he was nurtured by Morgoth, becoming mighty in his service... ...he had fortified the land of Mordor and had built there the Tower of Barad-dûr, and thereafter he strove ever for the dominion of Middle-earth, to become a king over all kings and as a god unto Men....
... ...in that time... ...the One Ring was forged...
... ...there was war between Sauron and the Elves in Eriador. Now he learned that the kings of Númenor had increased in power... ...and he hated them the more; and he feared them, lest they should invade his lands and wrest from him the dominion of the East....
... ...Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made One Ring to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last...
... ...much of the strength and will of Sauron passed into that One Ring; for the power of the Elven-rings was very great, and that which should govern them must be a thing of surpassing potency; and Sauron forged it in the Mountain of Fire in the Land of Shadow.... ...while he wore the One Ring he could perceive all the things that were done by means of the lesser rings, and he could see and govern the very thoughts of those that wore them.
... But the Elves were not so lightly to be caught. As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him... ...and perceived that he would be master of them, and of any that they wrought. Then in anger and fear they took off their rings. But he, finding that he was betrayed and that the Elves were not deceived, was filled with wrath... ...he came against them with open war, demanding that all the rings should be delivered to him, since the Elven-smiths could not have attained to their making without his lore and counsel. But the Elves fled from him; and three of their rings they saved, and bore them away, and hid them....
... ...the Three remained unsullied, for they were forged by Celebrimbor alone, and the hand of Sauron had never touched them; yet they also were subject to the One...
... ...Sauron gathered into his hands all the remaining Rings of Power.... ...to bring under his sway all those that desired secret power beyond the measure of their kind.... ...all those rings that he governed he perverted, the more easily since he had a part in their making, and they were accursed, and they betrayed in the end all those that used them."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Aug 2, 4:00pm
Post #3 of 11
(1659 views)
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Here's part 2 of a 6-part look at the journey of The One Ring as it begins to show its guile... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From AKALLABETH: The Downfall of Númenor: The Silmarillion ... "…the Exiles of Númenor established their realms in Arnor and in Gondor; but ere many years had passed it became manifest that their enemy, Sauron, had also returned. He came in secret… …to his ancient kingdom of Mordor… …There above the valley of Gorgoroth was built his fortress… …Barad-dûr, the Dark Tower; and there was a fiery mountain in that land that the Elves named Orodruin. Indeed for that reason Sauron had set there his dwelling long before, for he used the fire that welled there from the heart of the earth in his sorceries and in his forging; and in the midst of the Land of Mordor he had fashioned the Ruling Ring…. …He took up again the Great Ring and clothed himself in power; and the malice of the Eye of Sauron few even of the great among Elves and Men could endure.
... When therefore Sauron saw his time, he came with great force against the new realm of Gondor, and he took Minas Ithil, and he destroyed the White Tree of Isildur that grew there. But Isildur escaped, and taking with him a seedling of the Tree he went with his wife and his sons by ship down the River, and they sailed from the mouths of Anduin seeking Elendil…
... …Now Elendil and Gil-galad took counsel together, for they perceived that Sauron would grow too strong and would overcome all his enemies one by one, if they did not unite against him. Therefore they made that League which is called the Last Alliance, and they marched east into Middle-earth gathering a great host of Elves and Men; and they halted for a while at Imladris….
... …From Imladris they crossed the Misty Mountains by many passes and marched down the River Anduin, and so came at last upon the host of Sauron on Dagorlad, the Battle Plain, which lies before the gate of the Black Land…
... …The host of Gil-galad and Elendil had the victory, for the might of the Elves was still great in those days, and the Númenóreans were strong and tall, and terrible in their wrath....
... ...Then Gil-galad and Elendil passed into Mordor and encompassed the stronghold of Sauron; and they laid siege to it for seven years, and suffered grievous loss... ...There in the valley of Gorgoroth... ...Sauron himself came forth; and he wrestled with Gil-galad and Elendil, and they both were slain, and the sword of Elendil broke under him as he fell. But Sauron also was thrown down, and with the hilt-shard of Narsil Isildur cut the Ruling Ring from the hand of Sauron and took it for his own. Then Sauron was for that time vanquished, and he forsook his body, and his spirit fled far away and hid in waste places; and he took no visible shape again for many long years....
... ...The Ruling Ring passed out of the knowledge even of the Wise in that age; yet it was not unmade. For Isildur would not surrender it to Elrond and Círdan who stood by. They counselled him to cast it into the fire of Orodruin nigh at hand, in which it had been forged... ...that it should perish, and the power of Sauron be for ever diminished... ...a shadow of malice in the wilderness. But Isildur refused this counsel... ...And the Ring that he held seemed to him exceedingly fair to look on; and he would not suffer it to be destroyed.
... Taking it therefore he returned at first to Minas Anor... ...But soon he departed, and... ...he bore away the Ring, to be an heirloom of his house, and marched north from Gondor... ...for he purposed to take up his father's realm in Eriador, far from the shadow of the Black Land.
... But Isildur was overwhelmed by a host of Orcs that lay in wait in the Misty Mountains; and they descended upon him at unawares in... ...the Gladden Fields, for he was heedless and set no guard, deeming that all his foes were overthrown. There well nigh all his people were slain... ...Isildur himself escaped by means of the Ring, for when he wore it he was invisible to all eyes; but the Orcs hunted him by scent and slot, until he came to the River and plunged in. There the Ring betrayed him and avenged its maker, for it slipped from his finger as he swam, and it was lost in the water. Then the Orcs saw him... ...and they shot him with many arrows, and that was his end."
From The Shadow of the Past: The Fellowship of the Ring ..."[Gandalf said]'...in the dark pools amid the Gladden Fields... ...the Ring passed out of knowledge and legend... ...much of its history is known now only to a few, and the Council of the Wise could discover no more. But at last I can carry on the story, I think...'"
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Aug 3, 1:31pm
Post #4 of 11
(1420 views)
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Here's part 3 of a 6-part look at the journey of The One Ring. After being lost* for over 2,400 years, The Ring begins to claim its victims/tools in its Quest to find its Master... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From The Shadow of the Past: The Fellowship of the Ring ..."'...very long ago, there lived by the banks of the Great River on the edge of Wilderland a clever-handed and quiet-footed little little people… …of a hobbit-kind… …they loved the River, and often swam in it, or made little boats of reeds. There was among them a family of high repute… …ruled by a grandmother of the folk, stern and wise in old lore, such as they had. The most inquisitive and curious-minded of that family was called Sméagol….
... ...He had a friend called Déagol... ...sharper-eyed but not so quick and strong. On a time they took a boat and went down to the Gladden Fields... ...There Sméagol got out and went nosing about the banks but Déagol sat in the boat and fished. Suddenly a great fish took his hook, and ... ...he was dragged out and down into the water to the bottom. Then he let go of his line, for he thought he saw something shining in the river-bed... ...he grabbed at it.
...'Then up he came spluttering, with... ...a handful of mud; and he swam to the bank... ...when he washed the mud away, there in his hand lay a beautiful golden ring; and it shone and glittered in the sun, so that his heart was glad. But Sméagol had been watching him from behind a tree... ...as Déagol gloated over the ring, Sméagol came softly up behind...
... ...[When Deagol refused to give it to Smeagol,] he caught Déagol by the throat and strangled him, because the gold looked so bright and beautiful. Then he put the ring on his finger....'
...'...Sméagol returned alone; and he found that none of his family could see him when he was wearing the ring... ...and he concealed it; and he used it to find out secrets, and he put his knowledge to crooked and malicious uses... ...The ring had given him power according to his stature. It is not to be wondered at that he... ...was shunned (when visible)... …He took to thieving, and going about muttering to himself, and gurgling in his throat. So they called him Gollum, and cursed him... ...and told him to go far away; and his grandmother… …expelled him from the family….
...'...He wandered in loneliness, weeping a little for the hardness of the world... ...and he found a little cave out of which the dark stream ran; and he wormed his way like a maggot into the heart of the hills, and vanished out of all knowledge [for approx 478 years]. The Ring went into the shadows with him... ...even the maker, when his power had begun to grow again, could learn nothing of it.'"
[* ref: Timeline of Arda]
From AKALLABETH: The Downfall of Numenor: The Silmarillion ... "Orcs were mustering, and far to the east and the south the wild peoples were arming. Then in the midst of gathering fear and the rumour of war the foreboding of Elrond was proved true... ...the One Ring was indeed found again, by a chance more strange than even Mithrandir had foreseen... ...For it had been taken from Anduin long ere they sought for it, being found by one of the small fisher-folk that dwelt by the River... ...it was brought beyond search into dark hiding under the roots of the mountains. There it dwelt..."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Aug 4, 11:49am
Post #5 of 11
(1268 views)
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Here's part 4 of a 6-part look at the journey of The One Ring as it seizes another chance to return to its Master... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From AKALLABETH: The Downfall of Numenor: The Silmarillion ... "...in the year of the assault upon Dol Guldur The Ring was found again, by a wayfarer, fleeing into the depths of the earth from the pursuit of the Orcs, and passed into a far distant country... ...to the land of the Periannath, the Little People, the Halflings, who dwelt in the west of Eriador. And ere that day they had been held of small account by Elves and by Men, and neither Sauron nor any of the Wise save Mithrandir had in all their counsels given thought to them...."
From Riddles in the Dark: The Hobbit ..."[Lost in the Goblin tunnels] When Bilbo opened his eyes, he wondered if he had; for it was just as dark as with them shut.... ...He could hear nothing, see nothing, and he could feel nothing except the stone of the floor.
...Very slowly he got up and groped about on all fours... ...and crawled along for a good way, till suddenly his hand met what felt like a tiny ring of cold metal lying on the floor of the tunnel.... ...He put the ring in his pocket almost without thinking..."
… "The tunnel seemed to have no end... ...Suddenly without any warning he trotted splash into water…
… …Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature… ...He was watching Bilbo now from the distance with his pale eyes...
… ...Suddenly up came Gollum and whispered and hissed:
… 'Bless us and splash us, my precioussss...!’
… …The hobbit jumped nearly out of his skin when the hiss came in his ears, and he suddenly saw the pale eyes sticking out at him…."
[After losing the Riddle Game and guessing Bilbo had his precious, a frantically angry Gollum chases the Bagginsess through tunnels leading to a way out]
… “Bilbo could not guess what had maddened the wretched creature, but he saw that all was up, and that Gollum meant to murder him at any rate. Just in time he turned and ran blindly back up the dark passage... ...keeping close to the wall and feeling it with his left hand.
…"What has it got in its pocketses?" he heard the hiss loud behind him...
… "...What have I, I wonder?" he said to himself, as he panted and stumbled along. He put his left hand in his pocket. The ring felt very cold as it quietly slipped on to his groping forefinger.
… The hiss was close behind him. He turned now and saw Gollum's eyes like small green lamps coming up the slope. Terrified he tried to run faster, but suddenly he struck his toes... ...and fell flat with his little sword under him.
… In a moment Gollum was on him... ...But... ...passed by, taking no notice of him... ...What could it mean?
… [After listening to Gollum's rambling, Bilbo realized] "...It seemed that the ring he had was a magic ring: it made you invisible! He had heard of such things... ...but it was hard to believe that he really had found one, by accident..."
… "I must get to the door...!" ...and the poor little hobbit… …ran for the door... ...He tried to squeeze through the crack... ...His buttons had got wedged on the edge of the door... ...He gave a terrific squirm. Buttons burst off in all directions. He was through... ...Bilbo had escaped."
[After many more adventures, Bilbo returned to his home in the Shire where he dwelled with The Ring for 60 years. When he felt it was time for a change, he enlisted Gandalf's help... to include leaving The Ring behind.]
From A Long-Expected Party: The Fellowship of the Ring … "'I want to see the wild country again before I die, and the Mountains... ...I am leaving everything to [Frodo], of course, except a few oddments...'
… 'Everything?' said Gandalf. 'The ring as well? You agreed to that, you remember.'
… 'Well, er, yes, I suppose so,' stammered Bilbo...
… '...Bilbo flushed, and there was an angry light in his eyes. His kindly face grew hard. 'Why not?' he cried. 'And what business is it of yours, anyway...'
… '...Now, now, my dear hobbit!' said Gandalf. 'All your long life we have been friends, and you owe me something. Come! Do as you promised: give it up.'
… 'Well, if you want my ring yourself, say so!' cried Bilbo. 'But you won't get it...' ...His hand strayed to the hill of his small sword.
… Gandalf's eyes flashed. 'It will be my turn to get angry soon,' he said....
…...Bilbo drew his hand over his eyes. 'I am sorry,' he said. 'But I felt so queer. And yet it would be a relief in a way not to be bothered with it any more... ...And I don't seem able to make up my mind.'
… 'Then trust mine,' said Gandalf. 'It is quite made up. Go away and leave it behind. Stop possessing it. Give it to Frodo, and I will look after him.'
… Bilbo stood for a moment tense and undecided. Presently he sighed. 'All right,' he said with an effort. 'I will... ...it goes to Frodo with all the rest....'
… ...[Bilbo] stepped out of the front door. It was a fine night... ...He looked up, sniffing the air. 'What fun! What fun to be off again off on the Road with dwarves! This is what I have really been longing for, for years! Good-bye!' he said, looking at his old home and bowing to the door. 'Good-bye, Gandalf!'"
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Aug 5, 1:01pm
Post #6 of 11
(1150 views)
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Here's part 5 of a 6-part look at the journey of The One Ring as it faces a strong-willed Bearer and comes closest to reuniting with its Master... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From AKALLABETH: The Downfall of Numenor: The Silmarillion … "Now by fortune and his vigilance Mithrandir first learned of the Ring, ere Sauron had news of it; yet he was dismayed and in doubt. For too great was the evil power of this thing for any of the Wise to wield, unless like Curunír he wished himself to become a tyrant and a dark lord in his turn...
… ...neither could it be concealed from Sauron for ever, nor could it be unmade by the craft of the Elves. Therefore with the help of the Dúnedain of the North Mithrandir set a watch upon the land of the Periannath... ...But Sauron... ...heard rumour of The One Ring... ...and he sent forth the Nazgûl to take it. Then war was kindled...."
[Seventeen years after Bilbo left the Ring to Frodo, Gandalf told Frodo the story of the Ring and how it came to him. The Wizard tried to reassure the hobbit as he realized the gravity of what was happening.]
From The Shadow of the Past: The Fellowship of the Ring ... "'A Ring of Power looks after itself, Frodo. It may slip off treacherously, but its keeper never abandons it. At most he plays with the idea of handing it on to some one else's care... ...But as far as I know Bilbo alone in history has ever gone beyond playing, and really done it. He needed all my help, too... ...even so he would never have just forsaken it, or cast it aside. It was not Gollum, Frodo, but the Ring itself that decided things. The Ring left him....'"
..."'There was more than one power at work... ...beyond any design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring... ...[and] you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought.'"
[It was agreed that Frodo and Sam, would take the Ring and leave the Shire for Rivendell... taking the danger with them... which descended on them sooner than anticipated. The danger was greatest when the will of the Ring compelled Frodo against his will.]
From Three is Company: The Fellowship of the Ring ... "Round the corner came a black horse... ...and on it sat a large man, who seemed to crouch in the saddle, wrapped in a great black cloak and hood, so that only his boots... ...showed below; his face was shadowed and invisible.
...When it reached the tree and was level with Frodo the horse stopped. The riding figure sat quite still with its head bowed, as if listening. From inside the hood came a noise of someone sniffing to catch an elusive scent; the head turned from side to side....
... ...A sudden unreasoning fear of discovery laid hold of Frodo, and he thought of his Ring. He hardly dared to breathe... ...yet the desire to get it out of his pocket became so strong that he began slowly to move his hand..."
From A Knife in the Dark: The Fellowship of the Ring ... "Over the lip of the little dell... ...they felt, rather than saw… …three or four tall black figures were standing there on the slope, looking down on them... ...Then the shapes slowly advanced....
... ...Frodo... ...was quaking as if he was bitter cold, but his terror was swallowed up in a sudden temptation to put on the Ring. The desire to do this laid hold of him, and he could think of nothing else... ...something seemed to be compelling him to disregard all warnings, and he... ...felt that he must take the Ring and put it on his finger... ...He shut his eyes and struggled for a while; but resistance became unbearable, and at last he slowly drew out the chain, and slipped the Ring on the forefinger of his left hand....
... ...He was able to see beneath their black wrappings. There were five tall figures... ...Their eyes fell on him and pierced him, as they rushed towards him. Desperate, he drew his own sword... ...The third [figure]... ...held a long sword, and in the other a knife... ...He sprang forward and bore down on Frodo.
... At that moment Frodo threw himself forward on the ground, and he heard himself crying aloud: O Elbereth! Gilthoniel! At the same time he struck at the feet of his enemy. A shrill cry rang out in the night; and he felt a pain like a dart of poisoned ice pierce his left shoulder… …as he swooned he caught, as though a swirling mist, a glimpse of Strider leaping out of the darkness with a flaming brand of wood in either hand. With a last effort, dropping his sword, Frodo slipped the Ring from his finger and closed his right hand tight upon it."
[The Fellowship is formed and travel south on a Quest to destroy The One Ring. They realized that Gollum had found them and followed close behind.... eventually joining Frodo and Sam on their journey. The previous Ring-bearer proved to be invaluable to Frodo and the Quest.]
From The Stairs of Cirith Ungol: The Two Towers ... [In Minas Morgul] "...out of the gate an army came... ...a great cavalry of horsemen moving like ordered shadows, and at their head... ...a Rider, all black, save that on his hooded head he had a helm like a crown that flickered with a perilous light... ...Frodo's staring eyes followed him, unable to wink or to withdraw. Surely there was the Lord of the Nine Riders returned to earth... ...the haggard king whose cold hand had smitten down the Ring-bearer with his deadly knife. The old wound throbbed with pain and a great chill spread towards Frodo's heart.... ...the Rider halted suddenly, right before the entrance of the bridge, and behind him all the host stood still. There was a pause, a dead silence. Maybe it was the Ring that called to the Wraith-lord... ...Frodo waited... ...unable to move. As he waited, he felt, more urgent than ever before, the command that he should put on the Ring. But great as the pressure was, he felt no inclination now to yield to it. He knew that the Ring would only betray him.... ...in his own will, dismayed by terror though it was... ...he felt only the beating upon him of a great power from outside. It took his hand, and as Frodo watched with his mind, not willing it but in suspense... ...it moved the hand inch by inch towards the chain upon his neck. Then his own will stirred; slowly it forced the hand back and set it to find another thing... ...lying hidden near his breast... ...his grip closed on it: the phial of Galadriel... ...As he touched it, for a while all thought of the Ring was banished from his mind. He sighed and bent his head.
... At that moment the Wraith-king turned and spurred his horse and rode across the bridge and all his dark host followed him."
[The Ring's intention to be brought to Sauron is frustrated by a hobbit's purity of devotion and duty.]
From The Tower of Cirith Ungol: The Return of the King ... "Sam had fallen to his knees by Frodo's head….
... '…Master, dear Master!' said Sam, and through a long silence waited, listening in vain... ...no stir of life could he find…
... "...suddenly he saw that he was in the picture that was revealed to him in the mirror of Galadriel in Lórien: Frodo with a pale face lying fast asleep under a great dark cliff... '…He's dead!' he said. 'Not asleep, dead…!'
... "'...What shall I do, what shall I do?' he said. 'Did I come all this way with him for nothing?' And then he remembered his own voice speaking words… '…I have something to do before the end. I must see it through....'
... "'...What am I to do then?' he cried again, and now he seemed plainly to know the hard answer: 'see it through….'
... '…What? Me, alone, go to the Crack of Doom and all?' He quailed still, but the resolve grew. 'What? Me take the Ring from him? The council gave it to him.'
... But the answer came at once: 'And the Council gave him companions, so that the errand should not fail. And you are the last of all the Company....'"
... "…Very gently he undid the clasp at the neck… …then with his other hand raising the head, he kissed the cold forehead, and softly drew the chain over it... ...then the head lay quietly back again in rest. No change came over the still face, and by that more than by all other tokens Sam was convinced at last that Frodo had died and laid aside the Quest…'"
[Shortly after, Sam discovers Frodo is not dead and is taken prisoner to the Tower of Cirith Ungol. Sam follows the orcs to the tower and searches for Frodo.]
..."At last, weary and feeling finally defeated, he sat on a step below the level of the passage-floor and bowed his head into his hands… …And then softly... ...there at the vain end of his long journey and his grief… …Sam began to sing….
... '…Beyond all towers strong and high...' ...he stopped short. He thought that he had heard a faint voice answering him. But now he could hear nothing. Yes, he could hear something... ...Footsteps were approaching. Now a door was being opened quietly in the passage above... ...The door closed with a dull thud; and then a snarling orc-voice rang out.
... 'Ho la! You up there, you dunghill rat! Stop your squeaking, or I'll come and deal with you. D'you hear…?'
... ...The hinges creaked again, and Sam… …saw a flicker of light in an open doorway, and the dim shape of an orc coming out. He seemed to be carrying a ladder. Suddenly the answer dawned on Sam: the topmost chamber was reached by a trap-door in the roof of the passage....
... '...You lie quiet, or you'll pay for it...! ...There's a reminder for you!' There was a sound like the crack of a whip.
... At that, rage blazed in Sam's heart to a sudden fury. He sprang up, ran, and went up the ladder like a cat… …Something was lying on the floor by the wall under the window, but over it a black orc-shape was straddled…. …but before it could make a move Sam slashed its whip-hand from its arm... ...[and it fell] through the open trap-door. Sam… ...ran to the figure huddled on the floor. It was Frodo….
... '…Frodo! Mr. Frodo, my dear!' cried Sam, tears almost blinding him. 'It's Sam, I've come!' He half lifted his master and hugged him to his breast. Frodo opened his eyes.
... 'Am I still dreaming?' he muttered. 'But the other dreams were horrible.'
... 'You're not dreaming at all, Master... ...It's real. It's me. I've come….'
... …Sam felt that he could sit like that in endless happiness..."
... '…I can walk,' said Frodo, getting up slowly. 'I am not hurt, Sam. Only I feel very tired… …I didn't dare to move… …[then] the yelling and fighting began. The two big brutes; they quarrelled, I think. Over me and my things….'
... '…They've taken everything, Sam,' said Frodo. 'Everything I had. Do you understand? Everything!' He cowered on the floor… …and despair overwhelmed him. 'The quest has failed, Sam….'
... '…No, not everything, Mr. Frodo. And it hasn't failed, not yet. I took it, Mr. Frodo, begging your pardon. And I've kept it safe. It's round my neck now, and a terrible burden it is, too.' Sam fumbled for the Ring and its chain….
... '…You've got it?' gasped Frodo. 'You've got it here? Sam, you're a marvel!' Then quickly and strangely his tone changed. 'Give it to me!' he cried, standing up, holding out a trembling hand. 'Give it to me at once! You can't have it!'
... 'All right, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, rather startled. 'Here it is!' Slowly he drew the Ring out and passed the chain over his head…. '…You'll find the Ring very dangerous now, and very hard to bear. If it's too hard a job, I could share it with you, maybe?'
... 'No, no!' cried Frodo, snatching the Ring and chain from Sam's hands. 'No you won't, you thief!' He panted, staring at Sam with eyes wide with fear and enmity. Then suddenly… … he stood aghast… …There was Sam kneeling before him, his face wrung with pain… …tears welled from his eyes.
... 'O Sam!' cried Frodo. 'What have I said? What have I done? Forgive me! After all you have done. It is the horrible power of the Ring… …I must carry the burden to the end. It can't be altered. You can't come between me and this doom.'
... 'That's all right, Mr. Frodo… …I understand. But I can still help, can't I? I've got to get you out of here. At once, see?'"
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Wed, 3:17pm
Post #7 of 11
(901 views)
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Here's part 6 of a 6-part look at the journey of The One Ring as it comes to the Fiery Mountain and the Cracks of Doom where it was forged... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
[Frodo and Samwise reach the Sammath Naur, but the Ring's torment takes its toll on Frodo... now exerting all its power so close to its Master.]
From Mount Doom: The Return of the King ... "'Now for it! Now for the last gasp!' said Sam as he struggled to his feet....
... 'Come, Mr. Frodo!' he cried. 'I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well... ...Just tell [your Sam] where to go, and he'll go.'
... "...Sam struggled on as best he could... ...at the last crawling like a snail with a heavy burden on its back... ...he stopped and laid his master gently down.
... Frodo opened his eyes and drew a breath.... ...'Thank you, Sam,' he said in a cracked whisper…'
... "…Again he lifted Frodo... ...Then he bowed his head and struggled off along the climbing road...
... …A sudden weight smote him and he crashed forward... ...he knew what had happened, for above him as he lay he heard a hated voice.
... 'Wicked masster!' it hissed. '...He musstn't hurt Preciouss...!'
... ...Gollum and Frodo were locked together. Gollum was tearing at his master, trying to get at the chain and the Ring. This was probably the only thing that could have roused the dying embers of Frodo's heart and will... ...He fought back with a sudden fury that amazed Sam, and Gollum also.... ...Frodo flung him off and rose up quivering... ...clutching his hand to his breast, so that beneath the cover of his leather shirt he clasped the Ring. 'Down, you creeping thing, and out of my path! Your time is at an end... ...If you touch me ever again, you shall be cast yourself into the Fire of Doom.'
... The crouching shape backed away, terror in its blinking eyes....
... 'Look out!' cried Sam. 'He'll spring... ...Quick, Master!' he gasped. 'Go on...!'
... 'Yes, I must go on,' he said. 'Farewell, Sam! This is the end at last...' He turned and went on, walking slowly but erect...
... '…Now!' said Sam. 'At last I can deal with you!' He leaped forward with drawn blade ready for battle. But Gollum did not spring. He fell flat upon the ground and whimpered.
... 'Don't kill us,' he wept. 'Don't hurt us... ...Let us live, yes, live just a little longer... ...when Precious goes we'll die, yes, die into the dust...'
... …Sam's hand wavered... ...deep in his heart there was something that restrained him.... ...He himself, though only for a little while, had borne the Ring, and now dimly he guessed the agony of Gollum's shrivelled mind and body, enslaved to that Ring, unable to find peace or relief ever in life again. But Sam had no words to express what he felt.
... 'Oh, curse you, you stinking thing!' he said, 'Go away! Be off...!' ...He suddenly remembered his master... ...As fast as he could he trudged up the road... ...and came to the dark door... ...of the Sammath Naur.
... 'Frodo! Master!' he called. There was no answer. For a moment he stood, his heart beating with wild fears, and then he plunged in....
... "...there on the brink of the chasm, at the very Crack of Doom, stood Frodo, black against the glare, tense, erect... ...and spoke with a clear voice...
... 'I have come... ...But I do not choose now to do what I came to do... ...The Ring is mine!' And... ...he set it on his finger [and] vanished from Sam's sight....
... ...Something struck Sam violently in the back... ...and he was flung aside, striking his head against the stony floor...
... "…And far away, as Frodo put on the Ring and claimed it for his own... ...The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash... ...Then his wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung….
... "...Sam got up. He was dazed, and blood from his head dripped in his eyes... ...and then he saw a strange and terrible thing. Gollum on the edge of the abyss was fighting like a mad thing with an unseen foe...
... …The fires below awoke in anger... ...and all the cavern was filled with a great glare and heat. Suddenly Sam saw Gollum's long hands draw upwards to his mouth; his white fangs gleamed, and then snapped as they bit. Frodo gave a cry, and there he was, fallen upon his knees at the chasm's edge. But Gollum, dancing like a mad thing, held aloft the Ring with Frodo's finger still thrust within its circle. It shone now as if verily it was wrought of living fire.
... 'Precious, precious, precious!' Gollum cried... ...even as his eyes were lifted up to gloat on his prize, he stepped too far, toppled, wavered for a moment on the brink, and then with a shriek he fell. Out of the depths came his last wail precious, and he was gone."
From The Field of Cormallen: The Return of the King ... "Gandalf lifted up his arms and called once more in a clear voice.
... 'Stand, Men of the West! Stand and wait! This is the hour of doom.'
... And even as he spoke the earth rocked beneath their feet. Then rising swiftly up, far above the Towers of the Black Gate, high above the mountains, a vast soaring darkness sprang into the sky, flickering with fire. The earth groaned and quaked. The Towers of the Teeth swayed, tottered, and fell down; the mighty rampart crumbled; the Black Gate was hurled in ruin; and from far away, now dim, now growing... ...a long echoing roll of ruinous noise.
... 'The realm of Sauron is ended!' said Gandalf. 'The Ring-bearer has fulfilled his Quest.' And as the Captains gazed south to the Land of Mordor, it seemed to them that, black against the pall of cloud, there rose a huge shape of shadow, impenetrable, lightning-crowned, filling all the sky. Enormous it reared above the world, and stretched out towards them a vast threatening hand, terrible but impotent: for even as it leaned over them, a great wind took it, and it was all blown away, and passed; and then a hush fell."
From AKALLABETH: The Downfall of Numenor: The Silmarillion ... "...those who saw the things that were done... ...deeds of valour and wonder, have elsewhere told the tale of the War of the Ring, and how it ended both in victory unlooked for and in sorrow long foreseen. Here let it be said that in those days the Heir of Isildur arose in the North... ...[and] led the host of the West to the Black Gates of Mordor.
... In that last battle were Mithrandir, and the sons of Elrond, and the King of Rohan, and lords of Gondor, and... ...the Dúnedain of the North. There at the last they looked upon death and defeat, and all their valour was in vain; for Sauron was too strong. Yet in that hour... ...help came from the hands of the weak when the Wise faltered. For, as many songs have since sung, it was the Periannath, the Little People, dwellers in hillsides and meadows that brought them deliverance.
... For Frodo the Halfling... ...alone with his servant... ...passed through peril and darkness and came at last in Sauron's despite even to Mount Doom; and there into the Fire where it was wrought… ...cast the Great Ring of Power, and so at last it was unmade and its evil consumed.
... Then Sauron failed, and he was utterly vanquished and passed away like a shadow of malice; and the towers of Barad-dûr crumbled in ruin... ...Thus peace came again, and a new Spring opened on earth."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Thu, 2:16pm
Post #8 of 11
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Today in Middle-earth
August 7, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. Bilbo and the Dwarves are on Forest Trail in Mirkwood.
(determined from text - referencing Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."It was not long before they grew to hate the forest as heartily as they had hated the tunnels of the goblins, and it seemed to offer even less hope of any ending. But they had to go on and on, long after they were sick for a sight of the sun and of the sky, and longed for the feel of wind on their faces."
The Great Years
August 7, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Frodo waited for Gandalf's return as he made plans to leave the Shire.
(not from the appendices—general time frame from book)
... [Gandalf had left suddenly after hearing something that made him anxious and needed looking into.] "At first Frodo was a good deal disturbed, and wondered often what Gandalf could have heard; but this uneasiness wore off, and in the fine weather he forgot his troubles for a while. The Shire had seldom seen so fair a summer..."
2. All trace of Gollum is lost.
[It is thought that at about this time, being hunted both by the Elves and Sauron's servants, he took refuge in Moria; but when he had at last discovered the way to the West-gate he could not get out. There is no real account of this other than references from others. This excerpt is from the Council of Elrond by Legolas as an explanation of how Gollum escaped and was thus lost]
(from the appendices--repeated from June 20th post)
..."It was that very night of summer, yet moonless and starless, that Orcs came on us [Mirkwood Elves] at unawares. We drove them off after some time; they were many and fierce... ...they came from over the mountains, and were unused to the woods. When the battle was over, we found that Gollum was gone, and his guards were slain or taken. It then seemed plain to us that the attack had been made for his rescue, and that he knew of it beforehand. How that was contrived we cannot guess; but Gollum is cunning... ...The dark things that were driven out in the year of the Dragon's fall have returned in greater numbers, and Mirkwood is again an evil place, save where our realm is maintained.
...'We have failed to recapture Gollum. We came on his trail among those of many Orcs, and it plunged deep into the Forest, going south. But... ...it escaped our skill, and we dared not continue the hunt; for we were drawing nigh to Dol Guldur, and that is still a very evil place; we do not go that way.'"
August 7, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The escort comes to Edoras.
(from the appendices)
..."At length after fifteen days of journey the wain of King Théoden passed through the green fields of Rohan and came to Edoras; and there they all rested. The Golden Hall was arrayed with fair hangings and it was filled with light, and there was held the highest feast that it had known since the days of its building. For after three days the Men of the Mark prepared the funeral of Théoden..."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
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Today in Middle-earth
August 8, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. Nights without lights in Mirkwood.
(determined from text - referencing Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."...they tried lighting watch-fires at night, but they soon gave that up... ...it brought thousands of dark-grey and black moths, some nearly as big as your hand, flapping and whirring round their ears. They could not stand that, nor the huge bats, black as a top-hat, either; so they gave up fires and sat at night and dozed in the enormous uncanny darkness.
...All this went on for what seemed to the hobbit ages upon ages; and he was always hungry, for they were extremely careful with their provisions... ...they began to get anxious. The food would not last for ever: it was in fact already beginning to get low. They tried shooting at the squirrels, and they wasted many arrows before they managed to bring one down on the path. But when they roasted it, it proved horrible to taste, and they shot no more squirrels."
We have been there and back again.
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Elvenhome
Sat, 2:21pm
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Today in Middle-earth
August 9, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. The Company's suffering grows.
(determined from text - referencing Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."They were thirsty... ...for they had none too much water, and in all the time they had seen neither spring nor stream. [Even if they found one stream in particular, they'd be out of luck.] It was well that Beorn had warned them against it..."
From Queer Lodgings: The Hobbit ... [Beorn] ""...I will provide you with skins for carrying water, and I will give you some bows and arrows. But I doubt very much whether anything you find in Mirkwood will be wholesome to eat or to drink. There is one stream there... ...black and strong which crosses the path. That you should neither drink of, nor bathe in; for I have heard that it carries enchantment and a great drowsiness and forgetfulness. And in the dim shadows of that place I don't think you will shoot anything, wholesome or unwholesome, without straying from the path. That you MUST NOT do, for any reason.""
August 9, 1973
... Tolkien visits the Botanic Garden, Oxford, with his grandson Michael George, who photographs him resting and standing with his favorite tree, a Pinus Negra. This is the last known published photograph of Tolkien who passed away less than a month later on September 2nd.
  
We have been there and back again.
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Today in Middle-earth
August 10, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. Funeral of King Théoden [He passed on March 15].
(from the appendices)
..."...[Théoden] was laid in a house of stone with his arms and many other fair things that he had possessed, and over him was raised a great mound, covered with green turves of grass and of white evermind. And now there were eight mounds on the east-side of the Barrowfield.
...Then the Riders of the King's House upon white horses rode round... ...the barrow and sang together a song of Théoden... ...that Gléowine his minstrel made, and he made no other song after. The slow voices of the Riders stirred the hearts even of those who did not know the speech of that people; but the words of the song brought a light to the eyes of the folk of the Mark as they heard again afar the thunder of the hooves of the North and the voice of Eorl crying above the battle upon the Field of Celebrant... ...the tale of the kings rolled on, and the horn of Helm was loud in the mountains, until the Darkness came and King Théoden arose and rode through the Shadow to the fire, and died in splendour, even as the Sun, returning beyond hope, gleamed upon Mindolluin in the morning.
Out of doubt, out of dark, to the day's rising
He rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing.
Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended;
over death, over dread, over doom lifted
out of loss, out of life, unto long glory.
...But Merry stood at the foot of the green mound, and he wept, and when the song was ended he arose and cried; 'Théoden King, Théoden King! Farewell! As a father you were to me, for a little while. Farewell!'
......At the last when the feast drew to an end Éomer arose and said: 'Now this is the funeral feast of Théoden the King; but I will speak ere we go of tidings of joy, for he would not grudge that I should do so, since he was ever a father to Éowyn my sister. Hear then all my guests... ...Faramir, Steward of Gondor, and Prince of Ithilien, asks that Éowyn Lady of Rohan should be his wife, and who grants it full willing. Therefore they shall be trothplighted before you all.'
...And Faramir and Éowyn stood forth and set hand in hand; and all there drank to them and were glad. 'Thus,' said Éomer, 'is the friendship of the Mark and of Gondor bound with a new bond, and the more do I rejoice.'
...'No niggard are you, Éomer,' said Aragorn, 'to give thus to Gondor the fairest thing in your realm!'
...Then Éowyn looked in the eyes of Aragorn, and she said: 'Wish me joy, my liege-lord and healer!'
...And he answered: 'I have wished thee joy ever since first I saw thee. It heals my heart to see thee now in bliss.'"
We have been there and back again.
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